Einasleigh Copper Project
Einasleigh Mining Pty Ltd is the proponent for the redevelopment of the historic underground copper mine at Einasleigh. Einasleigh Mining submitted to the department an application to prepare a voluntary environmental impact statement (EIS), and the EPA accepted the voluntary EIS application on 10 April 2007. The department is managing the assessment of the project using the EIS process set out in part 1 of chapter 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act).
The proposed Einasleigh Copper Project is located in Etheridge Shire, approximately 60km south-southeast of Georgetown and 210km west of Ingham in north Queensland. Redevelopment of the historic copper mine will involve the reinstatement of access to the ore body and extraction of ore using underground mining methods. The ore body is located approximately 150 to 250 metres beneath the junction of the Copperfield and Einasleigh Rivers adjacent to the township of Einasleigh. The historic mine site has been permanently listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.
The Einasleigh deposit will be mined at a rate of between 50,000 and 120,000 tonnes per year with the ore processed onsite or trucked offsite to a processing plant to produce copper concentrate. The output of copper concentrate will be approximately 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes per year, which will be trucked to Townsville for export.
The workforce will be sourced from the local region or other regional centres in north Queensland and accommodated at a purpose built facility in Einasleigh.
The process for the assessment of the Einasleigh Copper Project is as follows:
The final terms of reference for the EIS have been issued to the proponent, who will now prepare the draft EIS. The department's chief executive will invite written submissions from any person in relation to the draft EIS in due course. In the meantime, copies of currently available public documents can be obtained by accessing the links below:
- Final Terms of Reference;
- Initial Advice Statement (Project description); and
- Public Notice (s46 EP Act).
For further information about the EIS process for the Einasleigh Copper Project, contact the EIS Co-ordinator on telephone (07) 3227 6446.
Last updated: 23 April 2008